Home Learner Applications – An Amazing Opportunity!

Feb 17, 2025

  • Unofficially (As St. Thomas University, Fredericton NB completes its Strategic Planning Process…)
  • The current 2025 application window is open for home learner applicants – without barriers (like Test Scores & Gr. 12 credits)!
  • Recommended Approach:
    • Email Cristi Flood, Director of Student Recruitment directly  caflood@stu.ca
    • Letter explaining your academic interests, literature you engaged in and educational goals; together with explaining why you’d like to enroll at STU
    • Example of written work (essay) or a video or any other format example of academic interest that reflects your strengths and abilities.
    • (Potential barriers such as test scores or Gr. 12 credits are NOT required at this time (but feel free to add any supporting information that you may have)
    • Applicants with a specific interest in Aquinas Great Books should also cc. Dr. Matt Dinan mdinan@stu.ca (request a virtual meeting with him to learn more)

As former Homeschool parents we are reaching out to share an exciting Post-Secondary opportunity for Home Learners (and any interested student) and to share what we’ve learned on our educational journey with our young person through TDSB Public Elementary, four years of Home Learning, The Study Academy (TSA) Upper School; and currently in 3rd Year at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  Over the course of our thorough Post-Secondary search in 2021-22 we researched together with our student most universities across Canada that aligned with our student’s interests and values, as well as some in the US, Europe and Ethiopia.  The pandemic created the opportunity to attend many excellent Virtual Open Houses and we attended at least ten .  Eight short-listed campuses were visited in person and our student attended classes at four of their top ranked Universities before making their final decision.

Our simple and sincere motivation is to “give back” to the Home Learning Community that we value so much – to support and encourage you.  When we made the right decision to bring our son home after four tumultuous years of Elementary School (in 2014) – we knew we were making the right decision – our only real fear was how we could set him up for acceptance and success for whatever post-secondary pathway was right for him!  Can you relate?!  While we recognize that each of our journeys, both in terms of our student’s education and life in general, is unique; we also know that we have common ground in terms of the unique challenges and uncertainties we face.  We are all seeking to support our young people to not only overcome their challenges, but most importantly to find and nurture their strengths and passions as they achieve academic success;  while our ultimate goal is to support them in finding a meaningful role and place in society as they become adults.

Why am I connecting with you?

I’m a parent of a student whose educational journey has taken them through public elementary (TDSB), Home Learning middle school and a small independent high school (The Study Academy), who is now finding postsecondary success at an exceptional small undergraduate public university – St. Thomas University (STU, www.stu.ca) in Fredericton, NB – that we had never heard of until we mentored our young person through their University search process in their Grade 11-12 years.  (Please refer to the personal, professional and educational background of my wife Polly and I that is summarized below.)

I want to assure you that we have no hidden agenda!  This is a volunteer initiative on our part.  Our sincere motivation is to support students, together with their parents, supporters and educators, in finding the best “fit” postsecondary pathway that aligns with their strengths, interests, values and passions.  We offer a uniquely qualified perspective based on our own educational and professional pathways, as well as by the process we developed to support our young person’s postsecondary research and decision making process.  Our motivation is rooted in a deep appreciation for educators and allied professionals who have played an indispensable role in supporting our young person to overcome many challenges and achieve success.

My request is to simply share valuable learning and information per the Objectives below:

  • I’d welcome the opportunity to meet in-person, on-line or by phone.
  • I’m happy to speak with teachers, guidance counsellors, special program coordinators, students, parents… anyone interested…1:1, small or large groups.
  • I can also assist in connecting you directly with STU Admissions and or Professors in your students’ areas of interest.
  • Your assistance in raising awareness of St. Thomas University www.stu.ca and its First Year Aquinas Great Books www.stu.ca/aquinas/ program amongst your student body would be appreciated.

Our Objectives:

  1. To share our personalized, systematic and objective process, including research results, that we developed to support our student in their postsecondary search.  Starting with defining:
    • Their strengths and interests,
    • The optimal learning environment for them which defines the “value proposition” – confining their search to small undergraduate only schools, with small interactive classes taught by full Professors (supported by additional  in-depth rationale),
    • A personalized set of Critical Success Factors and Screening / Decision Criteria through which to evaluate qualified options; focusing on the Program Flexibility and Alignment with Interests, the Culture and “Feel” or “Vibe” of Campus Life as reflected by students, staff and faculty, the Quality and Accessibility of Essential Services (like mental health, Accessibility Services, etc.); and
    • How to make use of “ranking” and marketing resources during research while being aware of the limitations, biases, relevance and pitfalls of that information.
  2. To share valuable insights, such as:
    • Virtual Open Houses are valuable opportunities to explore the widest possible range of options,
    • Explore options outside Ontario where you can directly apply, interact directly with staff and faculty, and be accepted within days, not months!
    • Students should attend classes for at least a day or two at short-listed universities in order to experience the culture, quality and “fit” to enable a truly well-informed decision based on their own experience, and
    • Our first-hand experience meeting with staff and faculty at a wide selection of small Undergraduate Universities across Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
  3. To introduce you to the amazing “hidden gem” of a University that St. Thomas University is www.stu.ca, including our student’s lived experience: “I really enjoy the classroom experience – small, engaging, sense of community, Profs really give a lot of space to students; lot’s of facilitation /discussion vs lectures; Profs deeply care for and mentor students.”
  4. To also share information about the exceptional First Year Aquinas Great Books Program at STU  www.stu.ca/aquinas/  and  instagram.com/stugreatbooks
  5. And to share our observations of STU that we’ve experienced as mentors, including:
    • Flexibility and encouragement to explore a wide range of subjects and interests for the first two years before declaring major(s) in the third year is unique and enables students to really figure out where they’d like to go in terms of their academic and career goals,
    • Staff, faculty and student culture – every encounter has been positive,
    • Many staff and faculty are alumni and they’re really committed to STU’s ethos,
    • Eminently qualified professors are student focused though their teaching and mentoring,
    • Engaging, quality learning style (small classes, discussion oriented),
    • Progressive, accommodating, “real world” assessments (eg. oral exams),
    • Many pedagogical and assessment innovations are impossible to deliver in large settings,
    • The STU undergrad experience resembles many graduate level programs elsewhere and effectively prepares graduates for a wide range of career options in any workplace or for higher studies with many examples of success, and
    • The most amazing, supportive Director of Admissions we’ve met anywhere!  Cristi Flood  caflood@stu.ca

Please Note that STU has a Virtual Open House coming up: February 22, 09:00 – Noon EST  Virtual Events for Future STUdents – St Thomas University and you can arrange Virtual Campus Tours  Campus Tours – St Thomas University

I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to share more with you when we speak or meet, or if you wish to forward me to someone else in your school community or professional circle I’d welcome more connections.  Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely, Dan Stevens

Address: 12 Rayneswood Cres., Thornhill, Ontario  L3T 2N6
and 32 Waterloo Row, Fredericton, NB  E3B 1Y9
Email: stevens.edu.help@gmail.com

Polly and Dan Stevens Backgrounds

Polly Stevens (RRT NAIT / UAH 1985; BAS Hon. York 1995; M.H.Sc. Toronto 1997)  grew up in Edmonton, Alberta and has become a national leader in Healthcare Quality, Safety, Risk, Innovation, Learning and Leadership over her 40 year Healthcare career. Her past roles have involved: helping to transform the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto into a “highly reliable organization” – one which responds ethically and effectively to crises, and learns from critical incidents, mistakes and near misses to improve care and prevent harm to vulnerable patients; and as a senior executive at Canada’s largest medical malpractice insurance provider, helping to spread learnings from medico-legal claims to improve the safety of the healthcare system, and enabling healthcare boards across Canada to adopt effective enterprise risk management practices. Now semi-retired, she supports a select number of organizations in strategic planning, leadership development, governance, organizational learning, and risk management.  Polly is an Adjunct Professor in the U. of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Innovation; and she has advised both the U. of T and Queens U. in the development of specialised Healthcare Masters programs.  She is widely published in Healthcare QRM journals and has presented at Healthcare conferences across North America and Europe.

Dan Stevens (B.A.Sc. Alberta 1985; M.A.Sc. Ottawa 1990; P.Eng.) grew up in Victoria B.C. and rural Alberta and is now a retired civil / agricultural engineer and executive leader with private and public sector and non-profit experience in municipal planning and public works, water resources, international development, public health, community engagement, child protection and leadership. He is a fierce advocate for the most vulnerable members of our community and he continually seeks ways in which he can help meet the needs of those around him. Dan welcomes volunteer opportunities to utilize his wide-ranging skills to improve the lives of others. Dan left an Executive role with Children Believe (part of the ChildFund International Alliance www.childfundalliance.org) in 2009 to be a full-time parent and Home Educator.

Both Polly and Dan have acquired significant knowledge and expertise in the fields of child and youth development and education, psychology, neurodiversity and mental health as they have supported the education and development of their Twice Exceptional (2E) young person through Public Elementary, Home Learning Middle and Independent High School settings; and most recently in the search for a quality, supportive Post-Secondary learning environment. Their son is currently enrolled in his third year at St. Thomas University, Majoring in History and Great Books – with a goal of becoming an educator, helping students with exceptionalities find their strengths and educational success.

Polly and Dan are passionate about the need for inclusive, strengths focused, differentiated and accessible education pedagogy, practice and assessment methodology that benefits all learners at every level.  They share a strong belief that every child / young person has strengths and that it is incumbent on parents, supporters, educators and educational institutions to uncover and nurture those strengths in a supportive environment so that every student can find success. Respecting child / youth protection protocols – Polly and Dan can provide Police Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) letters and school and university references. Polly and Dan welcome opportunities to support students, parents, supporters and educators.

Note: The term “Twice Exceptional” or “2e” is applied to neurodivergent students who have exceptional cognitive ability or giftedness together with one or more disabilities or other diagnoses. Strengths often “mask” challenges and vice versa.